// BBC BUSINESS NEWS — FINANZA
Oil prices create 'huge worry' as winter looms
Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin said uncertainty was one of the biggest concerns for rural residents
Thousands of households who rely on heating oil could face a fresh squeeze on their finances this winter as global tensions continue to push up fuel prices, a councillor has warned.
Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Devon County Council's cabinet member for rural affairs and broadband, said rising oil prices were creating anxiety for families already struggling with the cost of living.
The warning comes after reports highlighted how the conflict in Iran had driven up heating oil and fuel costs, with the price of heating oil rising from about 60p a litre before the conflict to about 97p a litre, external according to price comparison website Boiler Juice.
Cottle-Hunkin, a fifth-generation farmer from near Great Torrington, said the increases had also hit farming businesses.
"These aren't just minor increases, they're quite severe shocks," said Cottle-Hunkin.
Speaking about her family's farm, she said higher fuel costs affected agricultural vehicles used every day, while larger farms running heavy machinery faced an even bigger challenge.
She said 41,000 households in Devon relied on heating oil as their main source of heating and warned many were vulnerable to sudden price spikes.
Her concerns come as fears grow about the impact of rising oil prices on rural communities.
"The price can double overnight," Cottle-Hunkin said. "There's no equivalent Ofgem price cap on the heating oil."